Saudi Arabia Extends Work Permit Fix Deadline to 2026

Saudi Arabia has extended the grace period allowing employers to rectify expired or missing work permits for expatriate workers until 31 December 2026. The move by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development replaces the earlier deadline of 30 June 2026 and gives establishments additional time to bring their records into compliance.

The extended period covers two main groups: expatriate workers whose work permits have been expired for more than 12 months, and workers who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining an establishment. Employers can renew existing permits or issue new ones through the قوى platform before the deadline.

Importantly, the grace period only delays penalties — it does not change the automatic removal rule. From 1 July 2026, workers whose permits remain expired for more than three months will be automatically removed from their employers’ records in قوى. Standard work permits and iqamas are typically valid for one year, and employers may renew them up to 180 days before expiry.

Corrections are handled on the employer side via قوى, where establishments can review their employee list, identify workers with expired or missing permits, and complete renewals or new issuances. On the employee side, workers can use أبشر to check their residency and work status and view permit and iqama validity, though renewal actions remain the employer’s responsibility.

Relevant fees for Q1 2026 include SAR 51.75 for iqama issuance or renewal (employee), SAR 600 for domestic-worker iqama renewal, a SAR 800 monthly work-permit levy a SAR 400 monthly dependent fee and SAR 2,000 for a first sponsorship transfer. Recent 2026 changes also include a new five-year physical iqama card with annual electronic renewals through employer platforms.

For the Kingdom’s large expatriate community, the extension offers welcome breathing room to regularize status, but employers are urged to act early rather than wait for the deadline, given the automatic removal rule that takes effect from July 2026.

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